SURICATA 5 (2017) 1097 ASILIDAE 48 (Assassin Flies or Robber Flies) Jason G.H. Londt and Torsten Dikow Fig. 48.1. Female of Promachus sp. with hymenopteran prey (Zambia) (photograph © R. Felix). Diagnosis 164, 184), extending medially; face with mystax (Fig. 1), usu- ally macrosetose (Fig. 46), but sometimes only composed of Small- to very large-sized flies (body length: 4–65 mm; wing setae near lower facial margin (Fig. 200); antenna positioned 1 length: 4–40 mm) (Figs 101, 185), that are predatory, capturing in dorsal ∕2 of head (Fig. 46); fore- and mid coxa positioned insects on the wing, and to a lesser extent, resting insects or close together; legs virtually originating at same level to cap- spiders. ture and hold prey (Fig. 46); metakatepisternum usually small (Fig. 46), except in Laphriinae (Fig. 162), not visible between Asilidae can be diagnosed as follows: labellum of proboscis mid and hind coxa. fused to prementum at least ventrally; hypopharynx heavily sclerotised, with dorsal seta-like spicules; labrum short, at most Head dichoptic in both sexes; face usually protruding to 1 ∕2 as long as labium; cibarium trapezoidal; vertex usually de- some extent, forming facial swelling (Fig. 1), but in several pressed (Figs 72, 73); postpronotal lobes fused to scutum (Figs taxa entirely plane (Fig. 200); face with mystacal macrosetae Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Sinclair, B.J. (eds). 2017. Manual of Afrotropical Diptera. Volume 2. Nematocerous Diptera and lower Brachycera. Suricata 5. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria; pp. 1097–1182. 1098 SURICATA 5 (2017) forming mystax (Fig. 1), which varies in extent from only cover- depressed (Figs 72, 80); all 3 ocelli circular, placed on single 1 ing lower facial margin (Fig. 200) to entire face (Fig. 46); frons ocellar triangle (Fig. 74); antenna positioned in dorsal ∕2 of predominantly parallel-sided (Fig. 80), but strongly divergent head (Fig. 46); antennal scapes separated proximally; postpedi- in a few taxa (Fig. 81); vertex slightly (Fig. 70) to considerably cel of varying length and shape (Figs 34, 46, 58, 66); stylus of Figs 48.2–7. Photographs of living Asilidae (Asilinae): (2) Alcimus sp. ♂ (Zambia); (3) same ♀; (4) Apoclea inarticulata Theodor ♂ (United Arab Emirates); (5) Apoclea sp. ♀ (United Arab Emirates); (6) Congomochtherus penicillatus (Speiser) ♂ (Tanzania); (7) Dasophrys androclea (Walker) ♀ (South Africa). Figs 2, 3 (photographs © R. Felix), Figs 4, 5 (photographs © H. Roberts), Fig. 6 (photograph © S.A. Marshall), Fig. 7 (photograph © J.G.H. Londt). MANUAL OF AFROTROPICAL DIPTERA – VOLUME 2 SURICATA 5 (2017) 1099 varying development, shape and position, often composed of usually open (Figs 84, 145, 199), but often closed with stalk 1 or 2 cylindrical or rod-like articles, plus seta-like sensory ar- (Figs 83, 107, 233); cell m3 open (Fig. 199) or closed (Figs ticle distally (e.g., Asilinae, Fig. 1; Brachyrhopalinae, Fig. 18; 83, 84, 145); cell cua open (Fig. 199) or closed (Fig 83, 84); Leptogastrinae, Fig. 42; Ommatiinae, Fig. 46; Stenopogoninae, costal vein (C) usually circumambient (Figs 83, 84, 145, 199), Fig. 54; Stichopogoninae, Fig. 58; Tillobromatinae, Fig. 61; and sometimes terminating at veins CuP or CuA+CuP (Fig. 223) Willistonininae, Fig. 66), or stylus reduced, only seta-like senso- and even further anteriorly at vein R4 (Fig. 221); auxiliary vein ry article present and positioned in cavity on postpedicel (e.g., usually absent (Fig. 199), sometimes appearing as short stump Laphriinae, Fig. 33); proboscis well-developed and strong, usu- vein on vein R4 (Figs 85, 113, 223), in 4 genera long, connect- ally straight, extending beyond frontoclypeal suture (Fig. 46), ing veins R2+3 and R4 (Figs 84, 99, 201, 203); veins M1 and M2 single genus (Ancylorhynchus Berthold), with posteriorly curved never fused (Figs 83, 84, 199); alula usually well-developed proboscis resembling parrot’s beak (Fig. 110); labellum small, (Figs 83, 84, 123), reduced in size in several genera (Fig. 197) fused to prementum at least ventrally, usually entirely fused; and entirely reduced in a few genera (Fig. 171). palpus 1- or 2-segmented, usually small, cylindrical, sometimes laterally compressed and prominent, often setose. Abdomen elongate, parallel-sided (Fig. 201), sometimes slightly tapering distally (Fig. 203), or constricted between Thorax with postpronotal lobe entirely fused to scutum (Figs tergites 2–3 or 2–4 (Figs 145, 199), or dorsoventrally flattened 164, 184), extending medially; cervical sclerite flat; proster- (Figs 86, 88, 222); tergite 2 usually wider than long (Figs 145, num dorsal margin with or without flange-like projection; pro- 157, 199, 203), several genera with tergite 2 more than 5 × as sternum either fused to or separated laterally from proepister- long as wide (Fig. 172); abdominal tergites without anterodor- num; proepisternum fused to lateral postpronotum, setulose, sal apodemes; male and female tergites 1–8 well-developed; sometimes macrosetose; antepronotum usually bare, some- male and female sternites 1–8 usually well-developed and times setose and rarely macrosetose; postpronotum usually se- simple; tergites with (Figs 201, 227) or without lateral macro- tose, sometimes macrosetose; anterior proepimeron, anterior setae (Fig. 199); male terminalia usually straight (Fig. 194), but anepisternum, anterior and posterior basalare usually setose, often rotated up to 180° (Fig. 164); epandrium either separat- sometimes macrosetose (Fig. 1); posterior anepisternum, an- ed and joined proximally (Figs 247, 278, 295), separated, not epimeron and anatergite setose or bare (Fig. 1); several taxa joined proximally (Fig. 285), or fused entirely medially (Figs with at least 1 macroseta on superoposterior angle of anepister- 265, 273); hypandrium usually well-developed and distinct num; katatergite setose or macrosetose, usually elevated and (Figs 240, 259, 278, 284, 292, 310), often reduced to varying convex; metakatepisternum usually small (Fig. 46), in Laphri- degree (Fig. 271) or fused to gonocoxite forming gonocoxite inae, large and visible between mid- and hind coxa (Fig. 162); + hypandrial complex (Figs 268, 275, 281, 197); gonocoxite scutum usually smooth, sometimes punctate; dorsocentral se- of varying shape, often with species-specific characters (Figs tae of varying length and development pre- and postsuturally 259, 262, 269, 287, 310); gonocoxal apodeme usually absent, (Figs 1, 61); acrostichal setae usually present presuturally; sev- sometimes present, either short or long; gonostylus of varying eral genera with scutal mane (Figs 10, 11, 194), composed of shape, often with species-specific characters (Figs 248, 261, dense setae between rows of acrostichal and dorsocentral se- 263, 269, 310); subepandrial sclerite usually without setae tae; noto pleural, supra-alar and postalar setae usually present or protuberances; lateral ejaculatory apodeme present; 1–3 (Figs 1, 46, 58). Scutellum large; mediotergite (mesopostnotum) phallic prongs, usually short, sometimes long; female termi- not visible in dorsal view (Fig. 201); apical and discal scutel- nalia with tergite 8 usually simple, sometimes with anterior lar macrosetae absent (Fig. 200) or present (Figs 1, 142, 144). transverse apodeme (Fig. 306); ovipositor usually consisting of Legs with hind coxa setose or macrosetose laterally (Fig. 1); segment 8 and following segments (Figs 23, 53), but sometimes hind coxa in a few taxa with anterior peg-like process; median involving segment 5 or 6 and following segments; ovipositor hind trochanter setose, sometimes expanded medially and for direct sand or soil oviposition, with tergite 10 divided into 2 macrosetose; femur usually cylindrical (Figs 1, 46) to at least acanthophorite plates with acanthophorite spines (Figs 22, 23, slightly expanded distally (Figs 22, 40), one genus with greatly 53, 56–58, 136, 306), a few genera with strong macrosetae on expanded fore femur (Fig. 52) and several genera with dis- cercus for sand or soil oviposition, ovipositor for other types tinctly clubbed hind femur (Figs 34, 146, 228), sometimes with of oviposition, such as egg-dropping, simple (Figs 42, 45), for ventrodistal macrosetae mounted on tubercles; hind tibia usu- placing eggs in vegetation often knife-like in taxon-specific ar- ally straight, sometimes arched medially; proximal tarsomere rangements of sclerites (Figs 7, 17, 252, 254), for placing eggs as long as (Fig. 18) or sometimes longer than tarsomeres 2–3 in decaying wood, simple (Fig. 37); either 2 or 3 equally large, combined (Fig. 200); pulvillus usually well-developed (Fig. 1), poorly- to well-sclerotised spermathecae present, sometimes with two dorsal ridges, entirely reduced in several genera (Figs median spermatheca larger or smaller than lateral ones; genital 25, 45, 66), or less commonly to small lobe visible at base of fork usually either ring-like (joined anteriorly and posteriorly) claw; setiform empodium usually present, sometimes reduced or inverted U-shaped (joined anteriorly, separated posteriorly), in length and rarely laterally compressed. Wing membrane anterior and lateral genital fork apodemes usually present. usually hyaline (Fig. 195), sometimes darkened through brown staining (Figs 145, 159, 211), or patterned through white and Larva (e.g., Figs 312–319) robust with 11 apparent segments, brown staining (Figs 123, 157); membrane with microtrichia with small, partly retractable head capsule (Figs 312, 313); head in many taxa, often covering entire or almost entire wing (Fig.